Tips to Make your CV Stand Out

Believe it or not, a badly crafted CV could be the reason you don’t get called for a job interview. We will be sharing tips on how to create a winning CV, as advised

Don’t wait until the last minute to make sure your interview clothes are ready. Have an interview outfit ready to wear at all times, so you don’t have to think about what you’re going to wear while you’re scrambling to get ready for a job interview.

Regardless of the type of job you’re interviewing for, that first impression should be a great one. When dressing for an interview for a professional position, dress accordingly in business attire.

If you’re applying for a job in a more casual environment, such as a store or restaurant, it’s still important to be neat, tidy, and well-groomed, and to present a positive image to the employer.

“Tune your resume to this specific role, with substantiating detail that shows why you are a great fit for the position,” says Laura Smith-Proulx, a certified executive resume writer and LinkedIn profile expert. One way to do this is by including all of your skills and experience that are relevant to the job you’re applying for.

HR reps equate typos and errors with laziness, says Greg Faherty, a certified professional resume writer and owner of a-perfect-resume.com. Make sure it’s perfectly polished and error-free — and don’t forget to put the most important information on page one.

Include a clear, hard-hitting statement at the very top of the resume that effectively defines who you are, keeping the specific position in mind, says Ann Baehr, a professional resume writer and founder of Best Resumes of New York. “Do not use an objective. Think of it like a billboard.”

There’s no better way to demonstrate how you’ll add to the bottom line or cut costs than to show quantifiable achievements. employers often assume past performance is indicative of future results. Majority of resumes fail because all they provide are job descriptions.

You need to know what they are looking for in your candidacy. “Instead of developing your resume and then conducting a job search, it is wise to research the requirements of several opportunities to get a sense for how you should be presented in terms of branding, focus, and keywords.

Your resume should bring the reader through your professional experiences, accomplishments, skills, and knowledge. It should show how you’ve advanced over the years, and what you can bring to the table. Make your resume long enough to tell your story, but short enough to skim in a single sitting. The key is readability and relevance to the job you’re targeting.

While you don’t want to overdo it, you can use color in a conservative manner to make your resume visually differentiated from the sea of documents the recruiter will review. For example, a subtle navy blue border can be very effective. These effects can draw the recruiter’s eye to the document and make it stand out against the many black and white documents they’ve received, she says. But know that using color on your resume is more acceptable and appropriate in some industries than others.

Use the appropriate amount of space for your experience. If you’ve been in the workforce for 15-plus years, do not feel forced to trim information about your achievements to keep to an arbitrary one-page resume rule. Use what you need to, but do not make it unnecessarily long.

Cover letters. To include them or not? Well, about half of all HR reps say they won’t even read a resume if the candidate hasn’t submitted a cover letter. So, unless the employer explicitly says they don’t want a cover letter, write one. Use the appropriate amount of space for your experience. If you’ve been in the workforce for 15-plus years, do not feel forced to trim information about your achievements to keep to an arbitrary one-page resume rule. Use what you need to, but do not make it unnecessarily long.

Don’t put irrelevant work experiences on your CV. Yes, you might have been the “king of making milkshakes” at the restaurant you worked for in high school. But unless you are planning on redeeming that title, it’s time to get rid of all that clutter. However, past work experience that might not appear to be directly relevant to the job at hand might show another dimension, depth, ability, or skill that actually is relevant or applicable. Only include this experience if it really showcases additional skills that can translate to the position you’re applying for.

No need to list your hobbies on your CV. Nobody cares. If it’s not relevant to the job you’re applying for, it’s a waste of space and a waste of the company’s time.

If you took time off to travel or raise a family, it is recommended that you do not include that information in your CV.

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